what makes an app great?

What makes an App Great?

Great Apps

Solves a Problem Eliminates or limits frustrations to make life easier

Example: maps, clock, calendar, calculator

Great Apps

Boosts Productivity Saves time and enables you to conveniently get info or complete tasks

Example: mobile banking apps

Great Apps

Entertaining Fun, entertaining, addictive -- games, video, humor

Example: Angry Birds and Candy Crush

Great Apps

Timeliness Delivery of interesting content via messaging and/or dynamic feeds Example: Flipboard, Twitter

Great Apps

Seamless Integration Integrates seamlessly with other platforms

Example: Sharing content to Twitter, Facebook, DropBox

Great Apps

Stunning Design Intuitive and engaging user experience/interface

Example: Flink, Paper, Yahoo Weather

Great Apps

Instant Usability Make it “ fast and easy” to sign-up, build a profile, and/or get the user deeply engaged in the app experience.

Example: Instagram, SnapChat, Fancy

Step 1Ideation

by: Marc Fischer | GD 75 Mobile App Design

Brainstormingand daydreaming...

by: Marc Fischer | GD 75 Mobile App Design

Find a ProblemBecome aware of a challenge,

problem, or opportunity

Brainstorming

Best ideas comes from awareness - Payattentiontowhatirritates you- Whatfrustratesyourfriendsandfamily- Howcananappalleviatethesepainpoints?- Howwouldyouimprove anexistingApp?

App Stores

Research the app stores

- Whichappsare“Topping theCharts”.- Whyaretheysopopular?- Howdidtheygettothetop?

by: Marc Fischer | GD 75 Mobile App Design smc.marcfischer.me

by: Marc Fischer | GD 75 Mobile App Design

Brainstorming

Research - what’s popular? - what’s trending?

- category leaders? - editors pick

smc.marcfischer.me

App Stores

Download the most popular apps

- Whatmakesthemsuccessful?- Whatdoyoulikeordislike?- Whatdoyouthinkcanbeimprovedupon?

Categories

Download the top apps in your category - Whoarethecategoryleaders?- Whatappcategoriesaretrending?- Whoaretheeditorspromoting?

Categories (iOS)

Brainstorming

Talk through your ideas... - Bounceideasoffyourfriends- Bounceideasoffyourfamily- Bounceideasoffcompletestrangers- Seekmentors andgetprofessional feedback

Brainstorming

Rank your ideas - Isittoocomplexandcostly?- Doyouhavetheskill-settoexecute?- Doescompetitionexist?- AreyouPASSIONATE forit?

by: Marc Fischer | GD 75 Mobile App Design

ImaginationUse your creative skills to

think of solutions

Audience Personas

If you build it, who will come? - Whoisyourtargetaudience?- Whatistheirbackground,technicalability,

location,language,etc.?- How can you create a meaningful experience

optimized for the users?

Features + Functions

Determine core features and functions - Listdesiredfeaturesandfunctionsindetail

(camera,usersign-up,GPS, etc.)- Prioritizethelistinorderofimportance?- Whatfeaturesandfunctionscanuserslive

without?

User Flow

Sketch it out, let it flow - Howwillyourusersinteractwiththeapp?- Afteracustomerdownloadstheapp,how

will they navigate from page topage?- Createdepictionsoftheapp’svisual

layout with basic sketches or wireframes- Seekconstructive criticism!

Create UniqueTechnology

Emerging Tech

Spark the Revolution

Emergingtechnologies--innovationswhich represent progressivedevelopmentswithina fieldforcompetitiveadvantage

Source: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

New_technologies

by: Marc Fischer | GD 75 Mobile App Design

Emerging TechBanking - Banks = Bitcoin

ArtificialIntelligence

Virtual Reality

3D Printing

New Tech

Trailblazing

What if you idea doesn't exist? - Does the absence of competitors mean there

is NOT a viable market need?- Haveotherstriedandfailed?- Isittooambitiousandcomplex?- Isittoocostlyandtimeintensive?

The App World

Crowded Marketplace It’shardtostick-outandbeuniqueinabig crowd..

+1.6millionappsandcounting+1000newappssubmitteddaily

or...Make it Better

Converging Tech

Building Upon Existing Tech Convergence refer to separate technologies such as voice (and telephony features), data (and productivity applications) and video that now share resources and interact with each other, creating new efficiencies.

Source: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

New_technologies

by: Marc Fischer | GD 75 Mobile App Design

Emerging TechWatch + Smartphone = Smartwatch

smc.marcfischer.me

Make it Better

How to make an existing app better?

- Findacommonproblem,createabetter solution

- Modelthesuccessofothers- Matchideaswithyourskills,interests,

experience,andpassion

Compete

Does your idea already exist?

- Arethereotherpotentialmarkets?- Couldyouprovideabetteruserexperience?- Isthereauniquewaytomonetize?

What’s Trending

Consider growth trends - Locationbasedservices- Bluetoothconnecteddevices- Mobilecommerce- Mobilevideo- Objectrecognition- InternetofThings

Platform Choice

What will you build?

- iPhone app - iPad app - Web app - Android app - Cross-platform

Considerations

Does the mobile app require the use of any special device features?

- Camera - Camera’s flash - Accelerometer - Bluetooth

ConsiderationsWhat programming languages do you already know?

How important is speed and performance?

Budget constraints - native is more expensive

Does the mobile app need Internet-access?

What is the monetization strategy?

Recap

• Great Apps start from humble beginnings • Ideas are everywhere you look • Research, research, research • Pursue projects that you can be PASSIONATE about • Test it before you build it • Analyze the playing field

• Plan, design, build, get feedback, change, grow